Chapter 22

[English text for this chapter is available]

| śrīsūta uvāca |
lakṣmītīrthe śubhe puṃsāṃ sarvaiśvaryaikakāraṇe |
snātvā narastato gacchedagnitīrthaṃ dvijottamāḥ || 1 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agnitīrthaṃ mahāpuṇyaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam |
tīrthānāmuttamaṃ tīrthaṃ sarvābhīṣṭaikasādhanam |
tatra snāyānnaro bhaktyā svapāpapariśuddhaye || 2 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ |
agnirtārthamitikhyātiḥ kathaṃ tasya munīśvara || 3 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kutraidamagnitīrthaṃ ca kīdṛśaṃ tasya vaibhavam |
etannaḥ śraddadhānānāṃ vistarādvaktumarhasi || 4 ||
[Analyze grammar]

śrīsūta uvāca |
samyakpṛṣṭaṃ hi yuṣmābhiḥ śṛṇudhvaṃ munipuṃgavāḥ |
purā hi rāghavo hatvā rāvaṇaṃ saparicchadam || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sthāpayitvā tu laṃkāyāṃ bhartāraṃ ca vibhīṣaṇam |
sītāsaumitrisaṃyukto rāmo daśarathātmajaḥ || 6 ||
[Analyze grammar]

siddhacāraṇagaṃdhavairdevairapsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ |
stūyamāno munigaṇaiḥ satyāśīstīrthakautukī || 7 ||
[Analyze grammar]

dhārayaṃllīlayā cāpaṃ rāmo'sahyaparākramaḥ |
ātmanaḥ śuddhimādhātuṃ jānakīṃ śodhitu tathā || 8 ||
[Analyze grammar]

iṃdrādidevavṛndaiśca munibhiḥ pitṛbhistathā |
vibhīṣaṇena sahitaḥ sarverapi ca vānaraiḥ || 9 ||
[Analyze grammar]

āyayau setumārgeṇa gaṃdhamādanaparvatam |
lakṣmītīrthataṭe sthitvā jānakīśodhanāya saḥ || 10 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agnimāvāhayāmāsa devarṣipitṛsannidhau |
athottasthau mahāṃbhodherlakṣmītīrthādvidūrataḥ || 11 ||
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paśyatsu sarvalokeṣu lihannaṃbhāṃsi pāvakaḥ |
ātāmralocanaḥ pītavāsā dhanurdharaḥ || 12 ||
[Analyze grammar]

saptabhiścaiva jihvābhirlelihāno diśo daśa |
dṛṣṭvā raghupatiṃ śūraṃ līlāmānuṣarūpiṇam || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jagāda vacanaṃ ramyaṃ jānakīśuddhikāraṇāt |
rāmarāma mahābāho rākṣasānāṃ bhayāvaha || 14 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pātivratyena jānakyā rāvaṇaṃ hatavānbhavān |
satyaṃsatyaṃ punaḥ satyaṃ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā || 15 ||
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kamaleyaṃ jaganmātā līlāmānuṣavigrahā |
devatve devadeheyaṃ manuṣyatve ca mānuṣī || 16 ||
[Analyze grammar]

viṣṇordehānurūpāṃ vai karotye ṣātmanastanum |
yadāyadā jagatsvāmindevadeva janārddana || 17 ||
[Analyze grammar]

avatārānkaroṣi tvaṃ tadeyaṃ tvatsahāyinī |
yadā tvaṃ bhārgavo rāmastadābhūddharaṇī tviyam || 18 ||
[Analyze grammar]

adhunā jānakī jātā bhavitrī rukmiṇī tataḥ |
anyeṣu cāvatāreṣu viṣṇoreṣā sahāyinī || 19 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tasmāmadvacanādenāṃ prati gṛhṇīṣva rāghava |
pāvakasya tu tadvākyaṃ śrutvā devā maharṣayaḥ || 20 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vidyādharāśca gaṃdharvā mānavāḥ pannagāstathā |
anye ca bhūtanivahā rāmaṃ daśa rathātmajam || 21 ||
[Analyze grammar]

jānakīṃ maithilīṃ caiva praśaśaṃsuḥ punaḥpunaḥ |
rāmo'gnivacanātsītāṃ pratijagrāha nirmalām || 22 ||
[Analyze grammar]

evaṃ sītāviśuddhyarthaṃ rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā |
āvāhane kṛte vahnirlakṣmītīrthādvidūrataḥ || 23 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yataḥ pradeśāduttasthāvaṃbudherdvijasattamāḥ |
agnitīrthaṃ vijānīta taṃ pradeśamanuttamam || 24 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tato vinirgamādagneragnitīrthamitīryate |
atra snātvā naro bhaktyā vahnestīrthe vimuktide || 25 ||
[Analyze grammar]

upoṣya vedaviduṣo brāhmaṇā napi bhojayet |
tebhyo vastraṃ dhanaṃ bhūmiṃ dadyātkanyāṃ ca bhūṣitām || 26 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvapāpavinirmukto viṣṇusāyujyamāpnuyāt |
agnitīrthasya kūlesmi nnannadānaṃ viśiṣyate || 27 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agnitīrthasamaṃ tīrthaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati |
duṣpaṇyopi mahāpāpo yatra snānātpiśācatām || 28 ||
[Analyze grammar]

parityajya mahā ghorāṃ divyaṃ rūpamavāptavān |
paśumānnāma vaiśyo'bhūtpurā pāṭaliputrake || 29 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sa vai dharmaparo nityaṃ brāhmaṇārādhane rataḥ |
kṛṣiṃ niraṃtaraṃ kurvango rakṣāṃ caiva sarvadā || 30 ||
[Analyze grammar]

paṇyavīthyāṃ ca vikrīṇankāṃcanādīni dharmataḥ |
paśumannāmadheyasya vaṇikchreṣṭhasya tasya vai || 31 ||
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babhūva bhāryātritayaṃ patiśuśrūṣaṇe ratam |
jyeṣṭhā trīnsuṣuve putrānvaiśyavaṃśavivarddhanān || 32 ||
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supaṇyaṃ paṇyavataṃ ca cārupaṇyaṃ tathaiva ca |
madhyamā suṣute putrau sukośa bahukośakau || 33 ||
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tṛtīyāyāṃ trayaḥ putrāstasya vaiśyasya jajñire |
mahāpaṇyo mahākośo duṣpaṇya iti viśrutāḥ || 34 ||
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evaṃ paśumatastasya vaiśyasya dvijasattamāḥ |
babhūvuraṣṭau tanayāstāsu strīṣu tisṛṣvapi || 35 ||
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te supaṇyamukhāḥ sarve putrā vavṛdhire kramāta |
dhūlikeliṃ vitanvantaḥ pita rau toṣayaṃti te || 36 ||
[Analyze grammar]

paṃcahāyanatāṃ prāptāḥ kramātte vaiśyanaṃdanāḥ |
paśumānapi vaiśyeṃdraḥ sarvānapi ca tānsutān || 37 ||
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bālyamārabhya satataṃ svakṛtyeṣu vyaśikṣayat |
kṛṣigotrāṇavāṇijyakarmasu kramaśikṣitāḥ || 38 ||
[Analyze grammar]

supaṇyamukhyāḥ saptaiva pitṛvākyamaśṛṇvata |
paśumānvakti yatkāryaṃ tatkṣa ṇānniravartayan || 39 ||
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naipuṇyaṃ prāpuratyaṃtaṃ te suvarṇakriyāsvapi |
duṣpaṇyastvaṣṭamaḥ putro bālyamārabhya saṃtatam || 40 ||
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durmārganirato bhūtvā nāśṛṇotpitṛbhā ṣitam |
dhūlikeliṃ samārabhya durmārganirato'bhavat || 41 ||
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sa bāla eva sanputro bālānanyānabādhata |
duṣkarmanirataṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ pitā paśumāṃstathā || 42 ||
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upekṣā mevakṛtavānbāliśo'yamitīrayan |
athāṣṭāvapi vaiśyasya prāpuryauvanamātmajāḥ || 43 ||
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tato'yamaṣṭamaḥ putro duṣṇayo balināṃ varaḥ |
gṛhītvā pāṇiyu galebālānnagaravartinaḥ || 44 ||
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nicikṣepa sa kūpeṣu saritsu ca saraḥsvapi |
na ko'pi tasya jānāti duścaritramidaṃ janaḥ || 45 ||
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yāvanmriyaṃte te bālāstāvannikṣiptavāñjale |
teṣāṃ mṛtānāṃ bālānāṃ pitaro mātarastathā || 46 ||
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gaveṣayaṃti tānsarvānnagareṣu hi sarvaśaḥ |
tān dṛṣṭvā ca mṛtānputrānke valaṃ prārudañjanāḥ || 47 ||
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jaleṣvatha śavāndṛṣṭvā janāścakruryathocitam |
evaṃ pratidinaṃ bālānduṣpaṇyo mārayanpure || 48 ||
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janairapyaparijñātaściramevamavartata |
mriyamāṇeṣu bāleṣu vaiśyaputrasya karmaṇā || 49 ||
[Analyze grammar]

prajānāṃ vṛddhirāhityācchūnyaprāyamabhūtpuram |
tataḥ sametya paurāstadvṛttaṃ rājñe nyaveda yan || 50 ||
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śrutvā nṛpastadvacanamāhūya grāmapālakān |
kāraṇaṃ bālamaraṇe ciṃtyatāmiti so'nvaśāt || 51 ||
[Analyze grammar]

grāmapālāstathetyuktvā tatra tatra vyavasthitāḥ |
samyaggaveṣayāmāsuḥ kāraṇaṃ bālamāraṇe || 52 ||
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te vai gaveṣaṃyato'pi nāviṃdanbālamārakam |
te punarnṛpamāsādya bhītā vākyamathābru van || 53 ||
[Analyze grammar]

gaveṣayaṃto'pi vayaṃ tanna viṃdāmahe nṛpa |
yo bālānnagare sthitvā satataṃ mārayatyapi || 54 ||
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punaśca nāgarāḥ sarve rājānaṃ prāpya duḥkhitāḥ |
punaḥ prajānāṃ maraṇamabruvanvāṣpasaṃkulāḥ || 55 ||
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rājā tatkāraṇājñānāttūṣṇīmāste viciṃtya tu |
kadācidvaiśyaputroyaṃ paṃcabhirbā lakaiḥ saha || 56 ||
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taṭākāṃtikamāpede paṃkajāharaṇacchalāt |
balādgṛhītvā tānbālānduṣpaṇyaḥ krośatastadā || 57 ||
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krūrātmā majjayāmāsa kaṃṭha daghne sarojale |
mṛtānmatvā ca tāñchīghraṃ duṣpaṇyaḥ svagṛhaṃ yayau || 58 ||
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pañcānāṃ pitarasteṣāṃ mārgayaṃtaḥ sutānpure |
teṣu vai mārgamāṇeṣu paṃca tenā tibālakāḥ || 59 ||
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nikṣiptā api toyeṣu nāmriyaṃta yadṛcchayā |
te śanaiḥ kūlamāsādya paṃcāpi klinnamaulayaḥ || 60 ||
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aśaktā nagaraṃ gaṃtuṃ bālyāttatraiva babhramuḥ |
dūrāduccāryamāṇāni svanāmāni svabaṃdhubhiḥ || 61 ||
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śrutvā paṃcāpi te bālāḥ pratiśabdamakurvata |
tatastatpitaraḥ śrutvā tatrāgatyasarastaṭe || 62 ||
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putrāndṛṣṭvā tu saprāṇānpraharṣamatulaṃ gatāḥ |
kimetaditi pitrādyaiḥ pṛṣṭāste bālakāstadā || 63 ||
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duṣpaṇyasyātha duṣkṛtyaṃ bandhubhyaste nyavedayan |
tato viditavṛttāṃtā rājānaṃ prāpya nāgarāḥ || 64 ||
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paṃcabhiḥ kathitaṃ vṛttaṃ duṣpaṇyasya nyavedayan |
tato rājā samāhūya paśumaṃtaṃ vaṇigvaram |
paureṣvapi ca śṛṇvatsu vākyametadabhāṣata || 65 ||
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rājovāca |
duṣpaṇyanāmā paśumanbahuprajamidaṃ puram || 66 ||
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śūnyaprāyaṃ kṛtaṃ paśya tvatputreṇa durātmanā |
idānīṃ bāliśānetānmajjayāmāsa vai jale || 67 ||
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yadṛcchayā ca saprāṇāḥ punarapyā gatāḥ puram |
asminnitthaṃ gate kārye kiṃ kartavyaṃ vadādhunā || 68 ||
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adya tvāmeva pṛcchāmi yatastvaṃ dharmatatparaḥ |
ityuktaḥ paśumānrājñā dharmajño yuktamabravīt || 69 ||
[Analyze grammar]

paśumānuvāca |
puraṃ niḥśeṣitaṃ yena vadhamevāyamarhati |
na hyatra viṣaye kiṃcitpraṣṭavyaṃ vidyate nṛpa || 70 ||
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na hyayaṃ mama putraḥ syācchatrurevātipāpakṛt |
na hyasya niṣkṛtiṃ paśye yena niḥśeṣitaṃ puram || 71 ||
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vadhyatāmeva duṣṭātmā satyameva bravīmyaham |
śrutvā paśumato vākyaṃ nāgarāḥ sarva eva hi || 72 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vaṇigvaraṃ ślāghamānā rājānamidamūcire |
na vadhyatāmayaṃ duṣṭastūṣṇīṃ nirvāsyatāṃ purāt || 73 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tataḥ sa rājā duṣpaṇyaṃ samāhūyedamabravīt |
asmāddeśādbhavāñchīghraṃ duṣṭātmangaccha sāṃpratam || 74 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yadi tiṣṭhestvamatraiva daṇḍayeyaṃ vadhena vai |
iti rājñā vinirbhartsya dūtairnirvāsitaḥ purāt || 75 ||
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duṣpaṇyastvatha taṃ deśaṃ parityajya bhayānvitaḥ |
munimaṃḍalasaṃbādhaṃ vanameva yayau tadā || 76 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatrāpyekaṃ munisutaṃ sa toyeṣu nyamajjayat |
kelyarthamāgatā dṛṣṭvā muniputrā mṛtaṃ śiśum || 77 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatpitre kathayāmāsurabhyetya bhṛśaduḥkhitāḥ |
tata ugraśravāḥ śrutvā tebhyaḥ putraṃ jale mṛtam || 78 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tapomahimnā duṣpa ṇyacaritaṃ tadamanyata |
ugraśravāḥ śaśāpainaṃ duṣpaṇyaṃ vaiśyanaṃdanam || 79 ||
[Analyze grammar]

ugraśravā uvāca |
matsutaṃ payasi kṣipya yattvaṃ māri tavānasi |
tavāpi maraṇaṃ bhūyājjala eva nimajjanāt || 80 ||
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mṛtaśca suciraṃ kālaṃ piśācastvaṃ bhaviṣyasi |
iti śāpe śrute sadyo duṣpaṇyaḥ khinnamānasaḥ || 81 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tadvai vanaṃ parityajya ghoramanyadvanaṃ yayau |
siṃhādikrūrasatvāḍhyaṃ tasminprāpte vanāṃtaram || 82 ||
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pāṃsuvarṣaṃ mahdvarṣanvṛkṣānāmoṭaya nmuhuḥ |
vajraghātasamasparśo vavau jhaṃjhānilo mahān || 83 ||
[Analyze grammar]

vegena gātraṃ bhiṃdantī vṛṣṭiścāsītsuduḥsahā |
taddṛṣṭvā sa tu duṣpaṇyaściṃtayanbhṛśaduḥ khitaḥ || 84 ||
[Analyze grammar]

mṛtaṃ śuṣkaṃ mahākāyaṃ gajamekamapaśyata |
mahāvātaṃ mahāvarṣaṃ tadā soḍhumaśaknuvan || 85 ||
[Analyze grammar]

gajāsyavivareṇaiva viveśodaragahvaram |
tasminpraviṣṭamātre tu vṛṣṭirāsītsubhūyasī || 86 ||
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tato varṣajalaiḥ sarvaiḥ pravāhaḥ sumahānabhūt |
sa pravāho vane tasminnadī kācidajāyata || 87 ||
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atha tairvarṣasalilaiḥ sa gajaḥ pūritodaraḥ |
plavamāno mahāpūre nīraṃdhraḥ samajāyata || 88 ||
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tato nirvivarasyāsya jalapūrṇodarasya ca |
gajasya jaṭharātso'yaṃ nirgaṃtu na śaśāka ha || 89 ||
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tataśca vṛṣṭitoyānāṃ pravāho bhīmavegavān |
udarasthitaduṣpaṇyaṃ samudraṃ prāpayadgajam || 90 ||
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duṣpaṇyaḥ salile magnaḥ kṣaṇātprāṇairvyayujyata |
mṛta eva sa duṣpaṇyaḥ piśācatvamavāptavān || 91 ||
[Analyze grammar]

pīḍitaḥ kṣutpipāsābhyāṃ durgamaṃ vanamāśritaḥ |
ghoreṣu gharmakāleṣu samākrośanbhayānakam || 92 ||
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atiṣṭhadgahane'raṇye duḥkhānyanubhavanbahu |
kalpakoṭisahasrāṇi kalpakoṭiśatāni ca || 93 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sa piśāco mahāduḥkhī nyavasadghorakānane |
vanādvanāṃtaraṃ dhāvandeśāddeśāddeśāṃtaraṃ tathā || 94 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sarvatrānubhavanduḥkhamāyayau daṇḍakānkramāt |
agastyādāśramātpuṇyānnātidūre sa saṃcaran || 95 ||
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nadanbhairavanādaṃ ca vākyamuccairabhāṣata |
bhobhostapodhanāḥ sarve śṛṇudhvaṃ māmakaṃ vacaḥ || 96 ||
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bhavanto hi kṛpāvantaḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ |
kṛpādṛṣṭyānugṛhṇīta māṃ duḥkhairatipīḍitam || 97 ||
[Analyze grammar]

purā duṣpaṇyanāmāhaṃ vaiśyaḥ pāṭaliputrake |
putraḥ paśu mataścāpi bahūnbālānamārayam || 98 ||
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tato vivāsito rājñā tasmāddeśādvanaṃ gataḥ |
amārayaṃ jale putraṃ tatrograśravaso muneḥ || 99 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sa munirdatta vāñchāpaṃ mamāpi maraṇaṃ jale |
piśācatāṃ ca me ghorāṃ dattavānduḥkhabhūyasīm || 100 ||
[Analyze grammar]

kalpakoṭisahasrāṇi kalpakoṭiśatānyapi |
piśāca tānubhūteyaṃ śūnyakānanabhūmiṣu || 101 ||
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nāhaṃ soḍhuṃ samartho'smi pipāsāṃ kṣudhameva ca |
rakṣadhvaṃ kṛpayā yūyamato māṃ bahuduḥkhinam || 102 ||
[Analyze grammar]

yathā mucyeya paiśācyāttathā kuruta tāpasāḥ |
iti śrutvā piśācasya vacanaṃ te tapodhanāḥ |
lopāmudrāsahacaramūcire kumbhasaṃbhavam || |
tāpasā ūcuḥ |
piśācasyāsya bhagavanbrūhi niṣkṛtimuttamām || 4 ||
[Analyze grammar]

evaṃvidhānāṃ pāpānāṃ tvaṃ samartho hi rakṣaṇe |
teṣāmagastyaḥ śrutavānkṛpayā parayā yutaḥ |
priyaśiṣyaṃ samāhūya sutīkṣṇaṃ vākyamabravīt || 5 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agastya uvāca |
sutīkṣṇa gaccha tvaritaṃ parvataṃ gaṃdhamādanam || 6 ||
[Analyze grammar]

tatrāgnitīrthaṃ sumahadvidyate pāpanāśanam |
piśācamokṣaṇārthāya tatra snāhi mahāmate || 7 ||
[Analyze grammar]

piśācārthaṃ tvayi snāte tatra saṃkalpapūrvakam |
piśācabhāvamunmucya divyatāmeṣa yāsyati || 8 ||
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niṣkṛtiṃ nāsya paśyāmi vinā tattīrthasevanāta |
ataḥ sutīkṣṇakṛpayā rakṣasvainaṃ piśācakam || 9 ||
[Analyze grammar]

agastyenaivamuktastu sutīkṣṇo gandhamādanam |
prāpyāgnitīrthe saṃkalpya piśācārthaṃ kṛpānidhiḥ || 110 ||
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sasnau tatra piśācārthaṃ niyamena dinatrayam |
rāmanāthādikaṃ sevya tattīrthaṃ pratigṛhya ca || 11 ||
[Analyze grammar]

svāśramaṃ prati gatvātha sutīkṣṇo viprasattamaḥ |
tattīrtha prokṣaṇātsadyaḥ saviyujya piśācatām || 12 ||
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vaibhavāttasya tīrthasya sadyo divyatvamāptavān |
vimānavaramārūḍho divyastrīparivāritaḥ || 13 ||
[Analyze grammar]

sutīkṣṇaṃ cāpyagastyaṃ ca tathānyāṃśca tapodhanān |
punaḥpunarnamaskṛtya tāṃścāmaṃtrya praharṣitaḥ || 14 ||
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svargamevāruhattūrṇaṃ devairapi sa pūjitaḥ |
agnitīrthasya māhātmyādduṣpaṇyo vaiśyanaṃdanaḥ || 15 ||
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paiśācyaṃ śāpajaṃ tyaktvā divyatāmitthamāptavān |
evaṃ vaḥ kathitaṃ viprā agnitīrthasya vaibhavam || 16 ||
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yaḥ paṭhedimamadhyāyaṃ śṛṇuyādvā sabhaktikam |
piśācamokṣaṇākhyānaṃ mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ || 17 ||
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iha bhuktvā mahābhogānparatrāpi sukhaṃ labhet || 119 ||
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iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ tṛtīye brahmakhaṇḍe setumāhātmye'gnitīrthapraśaṃsāyāṃ duṣpaṇyapaiśācyamokṣaṇaṃnāma dvāviṃśo'dhyāyaḥ || 22 ||
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